Length Converter
1 Meter = 3.28084 Feet
Our free unit converter calculator lets you instantly convert between hundreds of measurement units — length, weight, temperature, volume, speed, data, and more.
The International System of Units is the global standard — built on powers of 10, making conversions fast and logical.
A collection of traditional units still common in the United States, and partially in the UK. Conversion factors vary and must be memorized.
| Prefix | Symbol | Factor | Decimal | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tera | T | 10¹² | 1,000,000,000,000 | Terabyte (TB) |
| Giga | G | 10⁹ | 1,000,000,000 | Gigawatt (GW) |
| Mega | M | 10⁶ | 1,000,000 | Megabyte (MB) |
| Kilo | k | 10³ | 1,000 | Kilometer (km) |
| Hecto | h | 10² | 100 | Hectare (ha) |
| Deca | da | 10¹ | 10 | Decagram (dag) |
| (base) | - | 10⁰ | 1 | Meter, Gram, Liter |
| Deci | d | 10⁻¹ | 0.1 | Deciliter (dL) |
| Centi | c | 10⁻² | 0.01 | Centimeter (cm) |
| Milli | m | 10⁻³ | 0.001 | Millimeter (mm) |
| Micro | μ | 10⁻⁶ | 0.000001 | Micrometer (μm) |
| Nano | n | 10⁻⁹ | 0.000000001 | Nanosecond (ns) |
Multiply miles by 1.6, or simply add 60% to your figure. 60 mph works out to roughly 100 km/h.
Double the °C value, subtract 10%, then add 32. Or remember: 16 °C = 61 °F — the digits just swap!
Divide pounds by 2.2. For a rough estimate, just halve the number — 2 lbs is about 1 kg.
Multiply by 0.3 for a quick ballpark. 10 feet is approximately 3 meters.
Divide liters by 4 for a rough US gallon figure. 4 liters is close to 1 gallon.
Multiply inches by 2.5 for a quick estimate. 4 inches is about 10 cm.
The metric system (SI) is built on multiples of 10, which makes scaling between units straightforward — 1 km is exactly 1,000 m. The imperial system uses inconsistent conversion factors (a mile has 5,280 feet), making mental math trickier. Our unit converter calculator handles both systems, so you never have to worry about which you're working with. The vast majority of countries use metric; the United States is one of the few holdouts that still uses customary units day-to-day.
Inertia and cost are the main reasons. While US science, medicine, and many industries already use metric, everyday life — road signs, weather forecasts, cooking recipes — runs on customary units. Switching would require updating millions of signs, product labels, and regulations, making a full transition expensive and logistically complex.
A US gallon equals 3.785 liters, while a UK (imperial) gallon is 4.546 liters — roughly 20% larger. This also affects related units: UK pints and fluid ounces are bigger than their US counterparts, so always double-check which system a recipe or fuel economy figure refers to.
The number 12 divides evenly by 2, 3, 4, and 6 — making it ideal for fractions long before calculators existed. This same divisibility logic explains why we have 12 hours on a clock, 12 months in a year, and why eggs come in dozens.
A nautical mile (1.852 km) is defined as one minute of arc along any meridian of Earth's surface. This ties distance directly to geography, making it invaluable for maritime and air navigation. A knot — the standard unit of speed at sea and in aviation — equals one nautical mile per hour.
Technically, the SI standard defines 1 KB as 1,000 bytes. However, computer science has traditionally used 1 KB to mean 1,024 bytes (which is 2¹⁰). To resolve the ambiguity, the IEC introduced "kibibyte" (KiB) for 1,024 bytes. In practice, most operating systems and storage specs still use KB to mean 1,024 — so the context usually determines the answer.